The best economics liberal arts colleges are those with rich histories of influence, proven through the work produced by the program’s faculty and alumni. Beyond demonstrating scholarly impact in the field, the best economics degree programs maximize your opportunities to interact with outstanding economics faculty.
One of those technical, mathematically oriented fields of study that always surprises people for being a particularly strong fit for liberal arts colleges is economics. Some people don’t realize how a liberal arts background contributes to an economist’s success.
You can view and analyze the world and its economies and the actions of people and organizations within them through a new and more potent lens if you study economics in a liberal arts college.
You will have more personalized attention and be equipped with skills and knowledge valuable in today’s job market.
A research university, whether public or private, will typically emphasize empirical economics, econometrics, forecasting, and fields where economics and financial markets intersect.
In contrast, an economics major at a liberal arts college will expose you to various topics by mixing several areas of study with your core courses. This encourages you to think critically and develop novel solutions, which are talents that top companies highly appreciate.
As an economics major with a liberal arts education background, you’ll be able to:
An economics degree is not as easy as you think, especially if you’re starting to explore the subject. You’ll need as much attention and guidance as you can get from your faculty advisor.
Many courses are taught by teaching assistants at larger colleges, who are often graduate students with little prior teaching experience.
Classes in liberal arts colleges frequently have fewer students because the size of the schools is smaller. Each class is typically taught by a professor, which gives them a chance to spend more time getting to know their students, reviewing, and critiquing their work in much greater detail, and acting as mentors. These benefits will help you prepare for grad school.
Liberal arts college teaches you more than just the current social issues, quantitative economics, macroeconomics, political science, and other core parts of an econ major. Economics majors at liberal arts colleges develop strong communication and critical-thinking skills thanks to the breadth of disciplines they study, equipping them with a range of skills for the rest of their careers.
This prepares graduates for occupations that are in demand today and careers that do not yet exist. They also develop excellent interpersonal skills by collaborating with their teachers on research and small group projects.
Research universities tend to be far more extensive than liberal arts institutions, which frequently have less than 3,000 students. Many are located in towns essentially defined by the college itself, whether suburban or rural.
The least populated liberal arts colleges include:
The largest liberal arts colleges student bodies include:
Occasionally, these campuses are less diverse than those of more prominent colleges. Students typically have more money and are also more liberal. Even if a liberal arts college is as diverse as its research university equivalent, it could feel less varied due to the fact that there are fewer students overall.
Five of the most diverse liberal arts colleges include:
These schools tend to be community-driven; therefore, shared experiences are emphasized. Most students share the same residence halls on campus. They attend the same classes taught by the same instructors, partake in the same customs, and have meals together.
This may sound similar to students who attended small high schools, especially boarding institutions, given the size and lack of diversity of the student bodies at liberal arts colleges.
A bachelor’s degree in economics is an excellent starting point for a career in finance, policy development, marketing, and a host of other highly lucrative fields. As an economics major, you’ll study production, consumption, wealth transfer, and the way these activities relate to policy and governance. Your economics degree will also incorporate such core principles of monetary policy, budget planning, and cost analysis. The best schools for economics are those which are regionally accredited, which offer a full array of economics concentrations, and which give you the chance to work with the best and most influential professors and classmates.
Degree popularity: Economics bachelor’s degrees are the 35th most popular undergraduate degrees across all student demographics. It’s most popular among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders men and women, for whom it ranks as the 17th most desired degree, according to the number of degree earners reported by the National Center for Educational Statistics
Earning a bachelor’s degree in economics can open numerous professional doors. You could work as an internal financial consultant for a big company, as a stock trade for a brokerage firm, or as an analyst for a government think tank. In fact, the skills and knowledge you’ll acquire in your degree program are highly transferable. This means that your understanding of concepts such as local market behavior, small business enterprising, and investment banking could land you a role in any sector that interests you. The best schools for economics will put you in a position to become a leader in an array of fast-paced and well-paying fields.
Today, top influencers in economics are illuminating topics such as new economic geography, information asymmetry theory, wealth and income inequality, and much more.
Back to TopEconomics is an excellent major because it can provide a pathway into countless fields and career opportunities. If you’re looking for a well-paying and secure job, an economics degree is a great place to start. Students who major in economics gain skills that are in high demand across a wide range of professional sectors. Abilities such as budget analysis, cost estimation, and market analysis make economics majors highly employable. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the number of job opportunities for economists is expected to grow by a robust 14% by 2029.
Back to TopOnce you’ve declared your major in economics, you will likely be required to complete a set of core courses in a number of related subject areas. While your concentration will give you a chance to choose from a wide range of highly-specialized economics electives, there are a number of common courses that most economics majors will be required to take, including:
Earning a degree in economics can qualify you for a number of well-paying jobs. Your specialized knowledge qualifies you to work in one of the better-paying professional fields. According to the BLS, financial analysts earned a median salary of $81,590 in 2019, while personal financial advisors earned $87,850, and economists pulled in $105,020.
With a degree in economics, you’ll have a chance to pursue an array of high-paying opportunities, including these top jobs:
If you think a research university may be a better fit for you, see our ranking of the best research universities for a bachelor’s in economics.
Tuition + fees
$56K
Acceptance
8%
Graduation
94%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1467/32
Swarthmore College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$61K
Acceptance
9%
Graduation
92%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1495/33
Amherst College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$60K
Acceptance
9%
Graduation
94%
Student body
2K
Williams College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$58K
Acceptance
11%
Graduation
93%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1415/32
Claremont McKenna College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$62K
Acceptance
19%
Graduation
91%
Student body
3K
Wesleyan University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$61K
Acceptance
16%
Graduation
92%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1435/32
Wellesley College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$57K
Acceptance
7%
Graduation
93%
Student body
2K
Pomona College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$60K
Acceptance
13%
Graduation
91%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1430/32
Middlebury College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$58K
Acceptance
9%
Graduation
94%
Student body
2K
Bowdoin College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$60K
Acceptance
11%
Graduation
93%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1434/32
Barnard College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$62K
Acceptance
14%
Graduation
86%
Student body
2K
Colorado College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Acceptance
11%
Graduation
84%
Student body
5K
Median SAT/ACT
1325/30
United States Military Academy’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$63K
Acceptance
44%
Graduation
73%
Student body
1K
Reed College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$55K
Acceptance
18%
Graduation
90%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1380/31
Davidson College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$62K
Acceptance
17%
Graduation
90%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1385/31
Colgate University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Acceptance
12%
Graduation
86%
Student body
5K
Median SAT/ACT
1325/31
United States Air Force Academy’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$60K
Acceptance
34%
Graduation
82%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1315/30
Oberlin College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$61K
Acceptance
9%
Graduation
87%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1450/32
Colby College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$63K
Acceptance
37%
Graduation
87%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1370/31
Kenyon College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$60K
Acceptance
35%
Graduation
88%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1340/30
Bucknell University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$61K
Acceptance
18%
Graduation
90%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1440/33
Haverford College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$60K
Acceptance
18%
Graduation
91%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1425/32
Carleton College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$56K
Acceptance
30%
Graduation
91%
Student body
3K
Smith College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$63K
Acceptance
20%
Graduation
93%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1440/33
Vassar College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in: